“After the social security reforms of 2016, freelance professionals, the self-employed and farmers are paying, as of January 1, 2017, social security contributions based on their real paying abilities and not on a random method of determining their social security levels that had nothing to do with the real situation of those insured. Based on formal data, 88 percent of freelance professionals, the self-employed and farmers pay lower contributions that what they paid in the old system,” said the Labor Ministry in an announcement on Tuesday.

Now that the social security system is viable, and due to the good course of state finances, the government is moving ahead with the next step: lowering contributions for the main and supplementary pensions and the one-off payment for 250,000 people.

More specifically, the Labour Ministry points out that as of January 1, 2019, will maintain the minimum contribution for the main pension (117.20 euros for freelance professionals and the self-employed and 74 euros for farmers), while the following will also apply:

The social security contribution for the main pension for freelance professionals and the self-employed is being reduced by 33 percent, from 20 percent as is now, to 13.3 percent

The social security contribution for the main pension of farmers is also being reduced by 33 percent, to 12 percent (it would have been 18 percent on Jan. 1, 2019).

Additionally, for self-employed scientists, engineers, lawyers and doctors the contribution for the supplementary pension and one-off payment will be calculated on the lowest scale possible. That means that, regardless of income level, the contribution will not exceed the minimum amount that applies today, or 64.5 euros per month.

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